Download Sensitive and Invasive Species Field Guide

2011
Yuba Watershed: Sensitive and
Invasive Species Field Guide
Created by Kaitlyn Hacker
Yuba Watershed Sensitive and Invasive Species Watch Program
Instructions
Program Design:
The Yuba Watershed Sensitive and Invasive Species Watch Program is designed to document sensitive
and invasive species throughout the watershed. In addition to collecting water quality data, river
monitors should also be on the look-out for these target species. The list includes ten invasive species
and seven sensitive species. Data collected will then be used to generate distribution maps. These maps
will be used to track the spread of invasive species, as well as to determine what areas need to be
further protected and restored in order to boost populations of sensitive species.
How data are collected:
An observation form will be printed on the back of field data sheets and will include space for the
following information:
Species observed
Date of observation
Location (should include site name and relative location at site)
Name of all observers
Description of habitat
Abundance
Evidence/Documentation
Two levels of documentation confidence are possible for detected species:
1. Species that are observed will be considered “reports.”
2. Species observations supported by verifiable evidence (photographs, specimens) will count as
“verified records.”
If you encounter one of the target species please fill out the observation form and alert the office
volunteer/river monitoring coordinator when you arrive back at SYRCL.
Foothill Yellow Legged Frog
Western Pond Turtle
(Rana boylii)
(Actinemys marmorata)
Sensitive Native
Sensitive Native
Description
Rough Skin, with olive coloring
Pale yellow triangle extending from tip
of nose to between eyes
No eardrum (circle) behind eye
Yellow coloring on legs, abdomen
Do not make clear audible noises
Habitat
Found in close association with water,
but can utilize a variety of aquatic
habitats including pools, riffles, runs,
cascade pools, and step pools
Prefer areas with exposed basking sites
Tips for a confirmed sighting:
Picture
Don’t confuse with….
Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) which has:
Bright green mouth/throat, smooth
shiny skin, large eyes relative to
head and large eardrum behind eye,
white belly, legs, and abdomen
Non-Native
Western Toad (Bufo boreas) which has:
Warty skin and thin white stripe
behind center of back
Native
Pacific Treefrog (Hyla regilla) which has:
Distinct black eye strip, smaller legs,
non-webbed feet
Native
Description
Only native freshwater turtle in
California
Contains radiating lines from center of
shell plates
No red stripe on face
Habitat
Use both land and aquatic habitat
Needs hiding and basking sites, nesting
habitat, permanent slow-moving water
with deep and shallow areas
Tips for a confirmed sighting:
Picture; shell
Don’t confuse with….
Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta)
which has:
Red on neck
Non-native
California Horned Lizard
Western Ridged Mussel
(Phrynnosoma coronatum frontale)
(Gonidea angulata)
Sensitive Native
Sensitive Native
Description
Flattened body with backwardly
projecting head spines
Large shelf above each eye with a
spine-like scale, small scales on
forehead, and two parallel rows of
pointed scales on each side of its body
Variable coloration, but usually gray,
tan, reddish-brown or whitish
Habitat
They can be found in various habitat
types, including riparian habitats,
grasslands, and oak woodlands
Endemic to California
Tips for a confirmed sighting:
Picture
Description
Shell is yellowish-brown to black or
brown and up to 5” in size
Shell does not have rays or sculpturing
Shell has angular ridge that runs along
the posterior margin, while the
anterior margin is generally straight
Habitat
Bottoms of streams and rivers with
substrates that vary from gravel to
firm mud, and some sand, silt or clay
Rarely seen in reservoirs or lakes
Tips for a confirmed sighting:
Picture; shell
Don’t confuse with….
California Floater (Anodonta
californiensis) which has:
Elliptical or ovate shell; olive green,
pale brown, reddish brown or black
Has greenish rays on posterior slope;
outside of shell is smooth with
growth lines
Native
River Otter
Beaver
(Lontra canadensis)
(Castor canadensis)
Sensitive Native
Sensitive Native
Description
Streamlined body adapted for aquatic
life
Short limbs with webbed, clawed paws
and a broad muzzle
Thick body with thick tapering tail
Outer fur is brown to velvety black,
underside paler grayish-brown to silver
About the size of a medium dog; length
of head and body about 26-30 inches
Habitat
Must live near permanent water, but
can live in a variety of aquatic habitats
Generally live along river banks in holts
Tips for a confirmed sighting:
Picture
Don’t confuse with….
Mink (Mustela vison)
Slightly smaller than a domestic cat;
length of head and body about 12-17
inches
Medium to dark brown with a white
chin patch
Native
Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Built in a shorter and stockier
manner
Elongated tail, flattened tail
Native
Description
Largest rodents in North America
Waterproof reddish brown or blackish
brown coat
Hind legs are longer than front legs,
flattened tail
Disproportionally large head and
teeth; length of head and body about
25-30 inches
Habitat
Often found in ponds and lakes
Needs hiding and basking sites, nesting
habitat, permanent slow-moving water
with deep and shallow areas
Live in lodges that they construct
Tips for a confirmed sighting:
Picture of beaver or lodge
Don’t confuse with….
River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
Longer, thinner body
Tail also long but tapered not
flattened
Native
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)
Thin, scaly tail, flattened on sides
Length of head and body about 1014 inches
Osprey
Bullfrog
(Pandion haliaetus)
(Rana catesbeiana)
Sensitive Native
Invasive
Description
Large in size with large legs and large
webbed feet; adults larger than any
other frog
Smooth dark green skin; white belly,
legs, and abdomen
Green mouth; large eyes; large
eardrum
Large tadpoles with a disproportionally
large head relative to tail
Description
Large raptor with white breast and
belly
Black back and wings; crown and
forehead white; dark eyestripe
Long wings with wingtips angled
slightly backwards.
Larger than a hawk, smaller than a
bald eagle
Habitat
Lives near water bodies as they eat
almost exclusively fish
Habitat
Often found at the edge of slow, flat
water habitats in sand or silt or
perched on cobble, rocks, or the shore
Risk for Spread…
Widely distributed in California
Eats many native prey and has lead to
drastic population decreases in Foothill
Yellow Legged Frogs and Western Pond
Turtles
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture
Don’t confuse with….
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalu
White head and tail feathers, no
eyestripe
Native, CA Endangered Species
Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Red tail, but juveniles and some
adults can be light in color
Native
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture
Don’t confuse with…
Foothill Yellow Legged Frog (Rana
boylii)
Warty skin, smaller eyes, yellow
underside
Native Federal/State Species of
Concern
New Zealand Mudsnail
Rock Snot
(Potamopyrgus antipodarum)
(Didymosphenia geminata)
Invasive
Invasive
Description
Shell contains 7 or 8 whorls with deep
groves in between; shell color varies
from gray and dark brown to light
brown
Extremely small in size
Habitat
Endemic to New Zealand, but now
widely spread and naturalized
Thrives in disturbed watersheds;
benefits from nutrient pollution and
algal growths
Prefers shallower water, but can
burrow into sediments in areas of high
flow
Risk for spread
Mostly asexual females; one individual
can rapidly start a new population
Becoming very widespread in
California
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; shell
Description
Freshwater diatom (type of alga)
Uses stalks to attach to streambed
material
Forms extensive mats on stream beds
Habitat
Found in rivers and streams
throughout North America
Native to cool temperate regions of
the Northern Hemisphere
Risk for spread
Infection may only need a single cell
Can spread via recreational equipment
Can remain viable for several days if
kept moist
Ways to prevent spread: Check, Clean,
and Dry all recreational equipment
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; specimen
Giant Reed
Perennial Pepperweed
(Arundo donax)
(Lepidium latifolium)
Invasive
Invasive
Description
Non-native member of the grass family
Can grow to over 20 ft and has deep
fibrous roots
Blue-green alternate elongated leaves
Long, dense, plumes of whorled
stemmed flower in August and
September
Forms dense thickets that can choke
riversides and stream channels
Habitat
Native to India and countries
surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
Grows in moist places, but grows best
in well drained soils with lots of
moisture
Risk for spread
Does not have viable seeds, spreads
through rhizomes that root and sprout
readily
Its rapid growth rate and vegetative
reproduction enables it to invade
quickly into new areas and
outcompete native vegetation
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; specimen
Description
Non-native plant in the mustard family
Can form dense stands that
outcompete native vegetation
Smooth, fleshy stem
White Flowers in dense clusters with
four spoon shaped petals
Leaves are alternate with prominent
white veins and are tapered at base
Habitat
Native to Eurasia and northern Africa
Likes disturbed areas
Commonly found in roadside ditches,
irrigation channels, riparian areas,
wetlands, floodplains
Prefers wet, saline or alkaline
conditions
Risk for spread
Hardy plant that can tolerate high
salinities, moderate drought conditions
and a variety of soil types
Can spread through seeds as well as
rhizomes
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; specimen
Parrotfeather
Eurasian Watermilfoil
(Myriophyllum aquaticum)
(Myriophyllum spicatum)
Invasive
Invasive
Description
Description
Feather like leaves arranged around
the stem in whorls of four to six
Has both submersed and emergent
leaves
Emergent leaves are stiffer and a
darker green than submersed leaves
and can grown up to a foot above
water surface
Flowers inconspicuous
Habitat
Native to South America
Grows mostly in ponds, but can be
found in reservoirs, gravel pits,
streams, canals and ditches
Risk for spread
Spreads by asexual means, stems are
brittle and can propagate itself from
small fragments
Sold by nurseries, so most
introductions have been from escapes
or discards
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; specimen
Close relative of parrotfeather
Submersed plant with feather like
leaves arranged in whorls of four
around stem
Growing stem tips tassel like and
typically red
Can alter water quality by raising pH,
decreasing DO, and increasing
temperature
Habitat
Native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa,
and parts of Greenland
Extremely adaptable and can tolerate a
variety of environmental conditions
Risk for spread
Can spread through seeds and asexual
reproduction
Mechanical control such as cutting,
harvesting, or rotovation can enhance
its spread due to fragmentation
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; specimen
Brazilian Waterweed
Wild Turkey
(Egeria densa)
(Meleagris gallopavo)
Invasive
Invasive
Description
Submersed plant
Leaves and stems bright green with
short internodes so has a leafy
appearance
Leaves in whorls of four to eight
Stems are erect and grow until the
surface, then form dense mats
May restrict water movement, trap
sediments, and decrease water quality
Habitat
Native to South America
Thrives in streams, ponds, sloughs, and
lakes
Risk for spread
Only male plants in the US so spreads
via fragmentation
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture; specimen
Description
Long reddish-yellow to grayish-green
legs and a black body
Males have a large, featherless,
reddish head, red throat and red
wattles on throat and neck
Females have duller feathers
Omnivorous; predates amphibians
Habitat
Native to North America, but
introductions to California began in the
late 1800s
Like open areas for feeding, mating
and habitat; use forested areas as
cover from predation and for roosting
Risk for spread
Already widespread
Tips for confirmed sighting:
Picture
Invasive Centrarchids: Blue Gill,
Crappie, Yellow Perch, Largemouth
Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass
Description
Exotic group of fish that impact native
fauna (fish, insects, snails, and
amphibians) through predation and
competition
Identifiable by a dorsal fin that is much
longer and bonier than native fish
Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Key features: narrow connection
between front and back of dorsal fin;
jaw that extends past the back of eye;
horizontal stripe
Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Blue Gill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Key features: black spot on dorsal fin;
flexible blue-black flap near gill
Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus/angularis)
Key feature: seven or eight spines on
dorsal fin
Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)
Key feature: side yellow to yellowgreen with 6-8 vertical bands
Key features: broad connection
between front and back of dorsal fin;
vertical bars; jaw extends to middle of
eye
Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)
Key features: streamlined, silvery body
with horizontal stripes from gills to
base of tail